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Fandom: THE X-FILES Pairing: Mulder/Scully/Krycek Length: 57k Author on LJ: unknown Author Website: Scattered Images (waybacked); Author page at Gossamer Why this must be read:The only thing better than hot, messed up M/Sc/K is hot, messed up M/Sc/K where relationships crumble in spectacular ways. (Or: Great fun for the unrepentant angst fiend.) Keil is hard on her characters, but not in ways that don't seem like they could be true. Krycek narrates, and Keil does a splendid job with him: he's worldly and sarcastic, just as he should be, but he also quietly breaks your heart. ( excerpt )Dissolution (You can also read it here.) Captivation (Set before "Dissolution", but it's not necessary to have read it first.) | |
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Fandom: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Pairing: gen Length: ~2100 Author on LJ: tipper_greenAuthor Website: Tipper's GreenWhy this must be read:I'm ending this month with something very silly: Buck driving high-speed (that being a relative term) around Boston, with JD navigating and the Boston PD on his tail. His wrong turns have been my wrong turns. This is part of a series, but I don't think the context is really necessary. And, there's a plot, but, again, not crucial to the enjoyment of the story. ( A taste: )City Maze | |
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Fandom: MARVEL COMICS Pairing: Scott/Logan Length: 975 words Author on LJ: spuffydudsAuthor Website: Spuffyduds’ LJ fic tagWhy this must be read:I said I was trying to avoid reccing X-Men fic, but the fact is that it’s the X-Men that pulled me into this fandom, and I know that’s true of a lot of other people as well. More specifically, the pairing that brought me into this fandom was Scott/Logan, which I haven’t recced at all so far. Plus, every recs list needs some good smut. And so, in light of all of that, I present this fic as my final rec. This is not a complicated fic. It’s not long and plotty and emotional. But it’s Scott and Logan, in a library after hours, giving each other blowjobs. And I’m not sure anyone needs anything more than that. Ok, if you DO need more than that, you should know that this is also incredibly well-written, and that the boys are both very in-character – the teasing with underlying affection, Scott completely failing at being a rebel, Logan pretending to buck Scott’s orders but following along anyway. And did I mention it’s ridiculously hot? Plus, I know that most of fandom (myself included) has worked at a library at some point, and trust me – after you read this fic, you’ll never look at the Chilton manual aisle the same way again. Repair Manual | |
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Fandom: SUPERNATURAL Pairing: Dean/Castiel Length: 1, 251 Author on LJ: oxoniensisAuthor Website: Grooves as Spirals Why this must be read: In 4x01, Castiel tells Dean his problem is that he has no faith. But apparently, his lack of faith, his holiness, that's not the issue. That sentiment is captured wonderfully, definitely worth a look. "Why'd you do it?" Dean wants to look away, wants to run not walk away and never come back. But he has to ask.
"Because God commanded it," Castiel says, staring into him. "Because we have work for you."
"Aha, now we're getting to it. The catch." Dean makes it sound like a mockery. It is.
"Why would you think there's a catch?" Castiel asks. Sad and hurt, as though Dean's disappointing him. Dean feels his hurt, like something physical. He ignores it, stays on track.
"Because there's always a catch. And you, whatever you are, you're no different."
- Mood: hungry
 - Music: Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' | Powered by Last.fm
- Tags: fanfic, supernatural
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Fandom: EARTHSEA Pairing: Ged/Arren Length: ~1000 words Author on LJ: _bounce_Author Website: Not to my knowledge Why this must be read:I hope you enjoyed my whirlwind trip through some of Earthsea's many relatively minor characters, but for my last couple of recommendations this month, I'm returning to the principals. The Farthest Shore is closer to Tolkien than the rest of the Earthsea series, and its point-of-view character Arren is an Aragorn-like figure who goes on a quest across Earthsea with Ged, travels through death, fulfils a prophecy and is named the king of the Archipelago. As King Lebannen, he also appears in Tehanu & The Other Wind. Arren is portrayed in canon as loving Ged and deeply grieved when Ged, 'done with doing', refuses to meet him in Tehanu. Despite all the potential for angst, fanfiction tends to pass Arren by. This short piece, among the earliest online fanfiction in the fandom, takes up the story from Arren's point of view at the end of The Farthest Shore and bridges to Arren's appearance in Tehanu. It succeeds in portraying Arren's desperate longing for Ged, without diminishing Arren's strength. ( Excerpt under the cut )Even Beyond All Other Lands by Bounce | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Cloud, Zack/Aerith in the background) Length: 300 words Author on LJ: delladellaAuthor Website: None Why this must be read:It's not easy to fill a ficlet with characterization and meaning, and Cloud is one of the hardest characters in the game to do justice to. This drabble deals with Cloud's often idealized relationship with Zack, bringing out Cloud's bitter side in a way few authors dare to; there has to be more than fluff to a man who manipulates himself into taking over another person's life, and most of the time that isn't anything nice. A great treat for those who enjoy the darker side of Cloud. Outmoded | |
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This is my last rec for the month, and I hope it's been a good month. I'd like to say a huge thanks to shaggirl for letting me have the keys and thanks to all the authors whose stories I recced. You have kept me up long past my bed time with your excellent stories time and again. Keep writing people! Fandom: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. Pairing: Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin Length: 4,464 words Author on LJ: cordwainer_s Author Website: It's all on Chrome and Gunmetal MadhouseWhy this must be read:I think this is one of the last remaining stories by Cord Smithee to be recced. For me, his slash stories are amongst the best in the fandom and I keep going back to re-read them time and again. They are all usually smokin' hot and this one is no exception. Everything I love about a story is here - good characters, great banter, strong Illya and, of course bone-meltingly good sex *g*. Every word is calculated and it feels to me that there are real people behind the words - I can actually see them saying the words as I read through the story. Napoleon goes back to Illya's apartment for the first time and takes advantage of a brief disappearance by Illya to have a snoop around. What he finds surprises him... ( Excerpt )The description of Illya's apartment lets you into his world (which you never see on the show sadly) and expands his character. As usual with Cord's stories, there is no fluff - just two alpha males dancing with danger pretending to ignore the sparks that are so obviously between them. This story deals with what happens once they can't ignore the attraction anymore. And sparks do indeed fly, Cord Smithee style *g*. Illya is on top form here - strong, confident and sexy.
This is my parting gift to you all - read it and it will make your toes curl. Then read it again...and again...and again! *g*
Silk | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Cloud, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel) Length: About 58 000 words, but it consists of shorts Author on LJ: None. Author Website: YunCynWhy this must be read:The story of Advent Children was an angsty one, but it ended with a note of hope. Familial Moments picks up from that note of hope and shares us the glimpses from the lives of Cloud, Tifa, Denzel and Marlene, ranging from warm and cozy to bittersweet and sad. And while the characters have their lonely moments, family remains in the heart of these tales, and overall they make a great tribute to triumph of life that played such a huge part in the game. Familial Moments | |
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Fandom: ANGEL/BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Pairing: Faith/Illyria Length: 2239 words Author on LJ: minnow1212Author Website: just her LJ Why this must be read: This story takes place twenty years after Minnow's amazing series of twelve short perspectives on the aftermath of "Not Fade Away", Things Left Undone, which I am only not reccing here because I checked and discovered that someone had already beaten me to it. In this epilogue, she follows Faith and Illyria, all these years later, as they come to a major crossroads in their time together. Minnow's writing here, as always, is lovely and elegant and poignant, and her voices are simply exquisite. She has a gift for imbuing an amazing amount of emotion into a surprising economy of words. What I think I love most about this story, though, is the relationship between Faith and Illyria; theirs is not what one might call a standard romance, and certainly not of the hearts and flowers variety. Nevertheless, the connection Minnow portrays between them is so real and vital and densely layered with meaning and feeling that one could not possibly say that their relationship is one iota less important or less true than any epic romance. Wake, Sleep, Wake | |
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Fandom: MERLIN Pairing: Merlin/Arthur Length: ~9k Author on LJ: derryereAuthor Website: fic tagWhy this must be read:I think we have all learned by now that lizardspots's art inspires some truly beautiful works of porn fiction, and this fic is no exception. derryere takes her inspiration from a piece (or two; both are linked in the notes to the fic) done for kinkme_merlin, and the results are just as beautiful and pornilicious as the art. The author claims that this is "plotless porn", but I will contend that the progression of the porn is, in fact, the plot. And it's quite a good one, with angsting and insecurity and boys making with the sex and the violence and then more sex. If you're a Merlin/Arthur fan, neither this fic nor the art are to be missed. <3 Freedom Hangs Like Heaven | |
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Having started with the most visible character of the series, I thought it might be fitting to finish off with one of the most invisible. Thanks to shaggirl for letting me drive, and I hope this has been an enjoyable ride to those who have been following. Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Barret/Myrna Length: About 2700 words Author on LJ: deadshrimpbluesAuthor Website: FF.net AccountWhy this must be read:Barret's wife, Myrna, only exists as a name in the game, but she gets a full life in this beautiful, bittersweet story about life in Corel before Shin-Ra, and how it's like to love Barret Wallace. Though barely a footnote even in Barret's personal story in the game, this story believably crafts her into the main influence in Barret's life, as well as a fascinating person of her own. It always takes talent to turn minor details from canon into meaningful things, and this story definitely delivers. Room and Pillar | |
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Fandom: AMERICAN IDOLSLASH (SEASON 7) Pairing: David Cook/Jason Castro Length: 11827 dramatic short story Author on LJ: writeatmidnight Author Website: Author's writings can be found here as well as at her own Livejournal. Why this must be read: One word to describe this fic. Wow! 'Eleventh Hour Lingering' is easily one of the best short stories I have ever read-fanfics or otherwise. I had a friend read it, who primarily reads Twilight fics, and he was blown away as was I. What I love about 'Eleventh Hour Lingering' is that it's so palpable, it pulls you in. I can see, hear, feel everything that is going in this fic. I can go on forever, but I won't. Trust me. Read this fic. Whether you're a fan of AI slash or not, this fic will leave you at awe. WARNING: This is a deathfic as it takes place in the future on the night of the end of the world. Eleventh Hour Lingering It really looked like him, but what were the odds they’d both end up stuck here?
David stood at a distance, fingering his backpack strap while waiting for the look-alike to turn around, and feeling more conspicuous by the moment, though no one was even glancing his way.
Please read and leave feedback for the writer.
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